I really don't think this is as hard as it may appear. The best writers I've worked with are all incredibly intelligent, inquisitive, and considerate. They have an unquenchable desire to learn and understand the world, and it reads in how they process and create. /1

When they are ready to take up pen and paper, they have already traveled a thousand miles, listened to numerous voices, and digested countless pages of research. The writing is a distillation of that discipline and may account for a mere fraction of their actual knowledge. /2

This knowledge is what allows them to see their creative world in all of its nuances and complexities. Thus they can execute confidently, adding and subtracting as needed, whittling it into its essence. THAT is artistic freedom - the power to create without restraint. /3

And if that writer honors the countless hours of toil before putting pen to paper, then the essence will always be there. It's part of the DNA and immovable. Nothing is being shoehorned in, you don't have to worry about "balancing diverse voices with artistic freedom." /4

When done right, "diverse voices" and "artistic freedom" should not be oil and water. They are one and the same. It's when it's done as an afterthought, with little consideration, that it becomes so evidently inorganic, forced, and surface level. /5

There are many people in charge in Hollywood who are more concerned with being politically correct out of fear than a genuine interest in learning to be culturally aware. In this day and age, you cannot create from a place of fear. /6

If you wanna tackle a project that's removed from your own experience but are afraid you don't know enough? Learn everything you can about the topic before you put pen to paper. Live it. Breathe it. Have a genuine love and consideration for it. And if not, simply don't do it. /7

And don't tell me that path is too hard. @JohnFusco12 does it time and time again. The @SuckerPunchProd team did it with Ghost of Tsushima. @greatwhitematt and @ThatOliviaCheng constantly do it on our projects. Kevin Lau (Lovecraft Country) never stops, even when I beg him. /8

Conversely, I see countless other creators who do the bare minimum, that are collecting a paycheck, and it shows in their work. So again, if you don't have a genuine interest in the topic, don't do it. You're ruining it for everyone else that does. /9

If someone was to counter me with, "That is a lot you ask of a writer", my argument would be this: If you don't have the passion to learn and digest new experiences and ideas, then perhaps writing (or simply creating) isn't for you. /10

Never stop being curious. Never stop learning. Never stop asking questions. /11

This is the link to the actual article. /12

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-agents-navigate-new-complexities-of-balancing-the-demand-for-diverse-voices-and-artistic-freedom